Valve-spring lifter



June 6, 1933. H. WQ KULP ET AL.

VALVE SPRING LIFTER Filed Aug. :5, 1931 aff Patented June 6, 1933 i a 1,913,084

a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE-SPRING LIFTER Application inea August 3, 1931: serial No; 554,925.` ij'lhis invention relates to valve-spring post for endwise movement` in its` sleeve or lifters or compressors for use in compressing collar the sleeve, under y the influence of the j or lifting the lower end ofthe valve stems spring pressure will move `suddenly with as arranged about the valve stems of the relation to the post, making it `very-difficult j poppet valve type internal combustion enfor the mechanic to judge the former relaj gines, to permit the retaining or locking eletive positionbetween the post and sleeve and `ments or key to be easily removedor to hence robbing him of the advantage ofhis drop out or to be inserted in removlng `or previously formed estimate as to the adreplacing the valvesand their stems, incljustment necessary. i In view ofthe foregodentto the` grinding of the valves or their ing, if the original` roughestimate as to lo removal or" adjustment for anyreason and proper position was anywhere near the corthe present invention relates to certaln imrect adjustment thosemechanics using this provements injthat type of valve-spring tool usually are `content to let it go at that, lifters forming the` subject ,matter of our struggling `with the keepers or `key to get pending application for United States patthem freeif the spring has not been raised 65 ent, Ser. No. 457,027, filed May 29, 1930, and to the most eflicient point, or spring the `patented .l une 14, 1932, No. 1,862,793. frame of the lifter in case the adjustment is In use of the lifters embodying the insuch as toraise the lower jaws of the lifter vention set forth in saidabove identified higher thanis necessary. It is to be borne pending application, it has, been `found that in mind that when the position of the post in a number of instances the mechanicadhas once been set for a particular engine justs the position of the adjustable post to the lifting or compressing operation for all what he thinks is about the proper position of the springs of the valve of said engine and ythenapplies the lifter Vto the lower end is thereafter performed onthat particular of one of the springs with the foot of the engine with the post in such` adjustment, post on the top of the corresponding valve with the consequence, if the adjustment be and moves the hand lever to cause upward slightly wrong one way or the other, that movement of the lower jaws to lift the either the springs are not lifted high enough spring. If `the mechanic has properly to enable the mechanic to most eic'iently guessed theposition of the post this works perform theoperation, or else the frame of 8 f5 nently deforme the frame of the lifter. If post `for altering its vertical position in. its

all right,` However, if he has misjudged the lifter is sprung, and this is repeated a the position, either the spring will not be number of times on each engine with conseraised sufficiently to allow the horse shoe quent total of either substantial loss of eiiitype retainers to drop out of position, or c iency or injuryand excessive wear of the the key or lock, where that is employed, to lifter itself. j j

be removed, or else, if he has misjudged the The present invention has particularly in j position in the other direction the spring VD view to overcome the above mentioned dewill be compressed or raised to its extreme fects and to provide two separate means point before the operating lever and link either operable independently or in combi- 40 have passedover dead center and, since it is nation with each other for causing the liftnecessary for them to pass `over dead cening` and lowering of the lower jaws incident ter in order to lock, the mechanic is prone to the compression and release of the lower to force them over dead center anyway and end4 of the valve-spring, one of said means in so` doing springs or bends and permaserving as a control adjusting means for the an effort be made by the mechanic to adjust cooperating sleevewhile the tool is holding the position of the post so as to get the propa valve-spring compressed or raised, Where` er lift of the spring while the lifter is opby the post may be adjusted to exactly the eratively applied and has compressed the right position so as to lift thevalve-spring spring to any extent, as soon as he frees the to the correct height to permit the most m0 efficient removal of the horse shoe keepers or cross pin, while avoiding any such jamming between the compressed spring, post and operating levers, such as would result in springing the lifter frame, making it practical to adjust the post to exactly the right position on lifting the first valvespring of the engine, after which the post will be left in such position of adjustment during the use of the tool on all other valvesprings of that particular engine.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the valve lifter embodying Vour present invention as operatively applied in servicing an internal combustion engine;

Figure 2, a front elevation of the tool showing the position of the parts in solid lines after thev hand lever has been moved to compressing or lifting position with the post 18 in an approximate position of adjustment, and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the parts after the hand wheel 21 has been turned to adjust the vertical position of the post 18 through the sleeve 10 to the proper position, so as to lift the lower end of the valve-spring to the most eiiicient point without springing or damaging the frame of the lifter;

Figure 3, a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4, a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, A designates a conventional internal combustion engine having poppet valves such as B, with valve-stems C about which are respectively arranged valve springs such as D, havingtheir respective lower ends bearing on a cup or washer E, said cup or washer E being normally prevented from slipping down off the end of the valve-stein C by locking elements or horse shoes, not shown, adapted to engage the upper face of the annular shoulder or enlargement F at the lower end of the stem C and normally forced radially inwardly toward'each other against the intervening tapering portion of the valve-stem C by the cooperating lower face of the cup or washer E, all in accordance with usual well known practice, or any suitable means functioning as'locking elements, such as a Cotter-pin or cross-pin long well known in this art for this particular function, may be employed.

The valve-spring lifter comprises a foot 1 adapted torest on the upper face of the valve B, a pair of jaws 2 adapted to straddle the valve-stein C and engage the lower face of the cup or washer E, a C-shape type frame 3, two parallel movement arms 4 and 5 pivotally mounted adjacent each other at 5 one end between the upper portions of the plates of the frame 3 on pivot pins 6 and 7 respectively and having their inner ends pivotally connected between the side portions of the sleeve 10 by means of the pivot pins 8 and 9 respectively. An operating handle 11 pivotally mounted between the extreme upper end portions of the plates of the frame 3 by means of a pivot pin 12 and having a cam 13 adapted to engage the upper edge face of arm 4 to limit the pivotal movement of the handle 11 towards arm 4 is operatively connected to one of the parallel movement levers, for instance lever 5 as illustrated in the drawing, by means of pivot pins 15 and 16 in such relation that when the face of the cam 13 is flat against the upper edge of lever 4 the longitudinal central line of the link 14 will extend below and to the rear of the pivot pin 12, pivotally mounting the lever' 11 in the frame, thus locking the lever 11 in the contracted lifted condition of the jaws of the lever when applied in the lifting operation of the valve-spring. The foot 1 is carried on the lower endV of a` vertical'post 18 vertically adjustable through the sleeve 10 to adjust the degree of lifting of the lower end of, or compression of, the valve-spring B.

All of the above mentioned elements form the subject matter of our invention as disclosed in said pending application Ser. No. 457,027, and are very fully described therein in detail, and therefore it is not believed that further detailed description is necessary or desirable herein. Y

in the present-invention we have formed the vertical edge vvof the post 18 as a rack or with a plurality of teeth 19 and have rotatably mounted a small pinion 20 between the opposed faces of the sleeve 10 and in such position as to mesh with the teeth 19 of the post 18 so that rotation of said pinion 2O will cause corresponding endwise movement in a vertical direction of the post 18. Said pinion 2() may be integral with the shaft 21a of a hand wheel 21, said shaft eX- tending through and being journaled in a corresponding` circular opening or bore in one side of the sleeve 10 and having a re duced eXtreme end portion extending through a co-aXial bore in the other side of said sleeve 10 and receiving on the portion thereof extending therethrough a washer 21 and having its extreme end spread or upset beyond said washer so as to permanently mount and retain the parts in such assembled relation.

`A preferably sheet metal approximately U-shape yieldingly pressed stop straddling the lower rear portion of the sleeve 10 is pivotally mounted thereon by means of a pivot pin 23 extending through the upper ends of the arms of said stop and the intervening portion of said sleeve and is providedv with a stop flange or lip 24 normally `fitting between two of theiadjacent teeth 19 and lying in engagement with the lower j edge face of the sleeve so as to unyieldingly lock the post v18 in adjusted position in the sleeve 10 against the influence ofthe upward thrust transmitted to said post 18 through the foot 1 by the compressed spring D; The lower rear corners of the sleeve 10 are rounded o' `to permit the`.rearward swinging of the keeper 22 with its stop flange or lip 24 out of operative position, in this respect being substantially the same as illustrated and described in said application Ser. No. 457 ,027, and said stop is formed with a retracting finger piece 25 by which it may be pressed rearward out of operative position and retained inoperative by the operators finger at will. f

Suitable spring means or resilient means fornormally urging the stop 22 into and yieldingly retaining it in operative position engaging between-the teeth 18 of the post 19 will be provided, and said means will preferably be a wire springcoiled about the pivot pin 23 with" one end hooked over or anchored to the sleeve 10 and with a long arm depending downward from pivot 23 under compression and having an'end 'portion bearing against the upper part of the rear face of the finger grip 25 so as to force the lowerend of the stop or lock or latch 22 forward about its pivot 23. i v

From the foregoinor it is obvious that the post 18 may be raised or lowered with relation to the sleeve 10 by rotating the pinion 20 in the `proper direction; that when `the post 18 is being forced downward through the sleeve by the pinion 20, the inclined i faces of the teeth 19 vwill successively engage tlie forward upper edge of the stop flange or lip 24 of the stop 22 and will causethe stop 22 to` rock rearwardly about its pivot 28 to such extent as to successively release the downwardly moving teeth 19; and that under the influence of the compressed spring D the upper face of the tooth 19 below and next adjacent to the stop lip or'flange 24 will engage the same and force it upward against the lower edge of the sleeve 10 with a tendency to `rotate it forwardly and so jam the flange 24ibetween the lower edge of the sleeve 10 and the upper face of said tooth 19, thus locking the post 18 against upward movement with respect to the sleeve 10 so long as the lock 22 is not held to the rear out of operative position; and that by holding the lock 22 rearward out of operative engagement with the teeth 19 and gripping the hand wheel 21, the post 18 may move upward with respect to the sleeve 10 as slowly or rapidly as the`mecha-nic may desire, and the control exerted by the strength of his grip will permit.

In operation, assuming the post 18 to have been `adjusted to an approximate position as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2 and the hand lever 11 having been moved to compressing locked position, the post 18 may be adjusted vertically downward through the sleeve 10` by turning the hand wheel 21 to cause relative movement between the post 18 and the other parts of the lifter as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2,iwhicli dotted line position is to betalren as the correct relative adjust-ment of the parts for servicing a particular engine.` Thereafter the parts willbe left in this adjustment until the compression or lifting ofall of the valvesprings of that particular engine have been completed. j 1

However, some mechanics prefer a hand wheel operated type of lifter, while others prefer a lever operated lifter, and sometimes, regardless of the preferences ofthe particular mechanic, the working space and conditions are such that only a lever operated lifter can be operated, and in other circumstances the space and conditions are `such that a lever operated lifter cannot be easily operated. The. present invention is of such construction as to permit selectivity `after the operation of the lifter may be entirely by means of the lifter 11 or the lifter 11 may be moved to the locked or contractedv position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the post 18 may be forced downward through'the sleeve 10 to compress the spring to themost efficient point and thereafter the latch orlock 22 may be `moved rearward to inoperative position and the post 18 allowed to move upward under the thrust Vof the spring D and under the control of the mechanics hand grip on wheel 21 in either the removal or replacement of the spring D.

Preferably the upperportion of the rear edge face of the post 18 is left intact solid with the teeth and the post 18 is inserted in the sleeve 10 before the pinion 20 is mounted therein in engagement with the teeth 19, whereby after said pinion 20 is mounted in said sleeve 1() in mesh with the teeth 19, said post 18 will be permanently locked in the sleeve 10 against separation therefrom and possible loss, since obviously the teeth of the gear 20 in engaging in the last upper notch of the rack or between the teeth 19 and striking against the portion cannot turn any further and being in engagement with the next lower tooth and/or with the upwardly inclinedlower face of the portion 18a, will definitely prevent further downward `movement of the post 18 through the sleeve 10, whereas they foot 1 permanently rigidly mounted on the bottom of the post 18 obviously prevents separation in .an upward direction of the post 18 from the sleeve 10.

Obviously any suitable rack or tooth design and construction may be substituted for the rack or teeth 19; any suitable gear or other operating construction functioning to raise or lower the post 18 by constant engagement with said rack may be substituted for the pinion 2O withits shaft 21tr, its hand wheel 21 and retaining washer 21'; and any suitable means automatically yielding to permit the downward movement of the post 18 through the sleeve 10 and normally adapted to prevent upward movement of the post 18 through the sleeve 10 may be substituted for the latch or stop 22 with its associated parts. l

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A valve-spring lifting tool comprising a frame, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame, a sleeve, a pair of parallel movement levers pivotally connected at their respective end portions to said trame and to said sleeve respectively, a handle pivotally mounted in the upper portion of said frame adjacent to one of said arms, said handle being provided with a cam having a long straight lower edge face substantially parallel with the opposed edge face of said adjacent arm when in engagement therewith, a thrust link, and pivot pins respectively pivotally connecting the respective end portions of Vsaid link to said cam and the distant arm, said lower face of said cam engaging the opposed upper face of the adjacent arm in the closed position of the tool, and in such position the line of thrust of said thrust link extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting of said handle in said trame, in combination with a post slidably mounted in said sleeve and formed with a vertically extending series of rack teeth and having a portion having an unbroken surface extending` upward from adjacent to the upper end of said series and lying in line and substantially Hush with the tips of the teeth of said series, a presser foot permanently mounted on the lower end Yof said post and being of greater dimensions in a horizontal direction than the interior'of said sleeve, a pinion journaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post and having a laterally disposed shaft turning therewith, said pinion in cooperation with said unbroken surface of said post serving to prevent endwise separation of said post from said sleeve in the reverse direction, a controlling and operating hand grip secured to said sha' t, a catch straddling tho lower rear portion of said sleeve and pivotally mounted on said sleeve for swinging movement toward and from said post, said catch normally operatively engaging the lower face of said sleeve and the opposed upper. tace of one of the teeth of said series to lock said post against movement in said sleeve away from said jaws under the thrust of the valve spring being operated upon, and yielding means for normally holding said catch in operative position, said yielding means being adapted to automatically yield under the downward and rearward thrust of the next adjacent upper tooth to permit said post to be moved downward through said sleeve by the rotation of said pinion in the proper direction.

2. A valve-spring lifting tool comprising a trame, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame, a sleeve, a pair of parallel movement levers pivotally connected at their respective end portions to said frame and tov said sleeve respectively, a handle pivotally mounted in the upper portion ot said iframe adjacent to one of said arms, said handle being provided with a cam having a long straight lower edge face substantially parallel with the opposed edge face of said adjacent arm when in engagement therewith, a thrust link, and pivot pins respectively pivotally connecting the respective end portions ot said link to said cam and the distant arm, said lower face of said cam engaging the opposed upper face of the adjacent arm in the closed position oit the tool, and in such position the line of thrust of said thrust link extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting of said handle in said frame, in combination with a'post slidably mounted in said sleeve` and formed with a vertically extending series of Vrack teeth, a pinion journaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post, means for at will rotating said pinion, a catch straddling the lower rear portion of said sleeve and pivotally mounted on said sleeve for swinging movement toward and from said post, said catch normally operatively engaging the lower face of said sleeve and the opposed upper tace of one of the teeth of said series to lock said post against movement in said sleeve away from said jaws under the thrust of the valve-spring being operated upon, and yielding means for normally holding said catch in operative position, said yielding means being adapted to automatically yield under the downward and Yrearward thrust of the neXt adjacent upper tooth to permit said post to be moved downward through said sleeve by the rotation of said pinion in the proper direction.

3. A valve-spring lifting tool comprising a frame, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame, a sleeve, a pair of parallel movement levers pivotally connected at theirl respective end portions to said frame and to said sleeve respectively, a handle pivotally mounted in the upper portion of said frame adjacent to one of said arms, said handle being provided with a cam having a long straight lower edge face substantially parallel with the opposed edge face of said adjacent arm when in engagement therewith, a thrust link, and pivot pins respectively pivotally connecting the respective end portions ofsaid link to saidcam andthe distant arm, saidlower face of said cam engaging the opposed upper face of the adjacent arm in the closed position of the tool, and in such position the line of thrust of said thrust link extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting of said handle in said frame, in combination with. a post slidably mounted in said sleeve and formed with a vertically extending se- `ries of rack teeth, a pinion j ournaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post, and means for at will rotatingsaid pinion.

4. A valve-spring lifting tool comprising a frame, a pair of jaws mounted on said frame, a sleeve, movable connections between said frame and sleeve, a handle3pivotally mounted on said frame and means associated with said handle for causing relative movement between said frame and movable connections and in the closed position of the tool exerting thrust on said handle in a line extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting thereof, in combination with a post slidably mounted in said sleeve and formed with a vertically extending series of rack teeth and having a portion having an unbroken surface extending upward from adj acentto the upper end of said series and lying in line and substantially flush with the tips of the teeth of said series, a presser foot permanently mounted on the lower, end of said post and being of greater dimensions in a horizontal direction than the interior of said sleeve, a pinion journaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post and having a laterally disposed shaft turning therewith, said pinion in cooperation with said unbroken surface of said post serving to pre- `vent endwise separation of said post from .j said sleeve 1n the reverse direction, a controlling and operating hand grip secured to. said shaft, a catch straddling the lower rear porv tion of said sleeve and pivotally mounted on said sleeve for swinging movement toward and from said post, said catch normally operatively engaging the lower face of said sleeve` and the opposed upper face of one of the teeth `of said series to lock said post against movement in said sleeve away from said jaws under the thrust of the valve spring being operated upon, and yielding means for normally holding said catch in operative position, said yielding means being adapted to automatically yield under the downward and rearward thrust of the next adjacent upper tooth to permit said post to be moved downward through said sleeve by the rotation of said pinion in the proper direction.

5. A valve-spring lifting tool comprising aV frame, a pair o jaws mounted on said frame, a sleeve, movable connections between said frame and sleeve, a handle pivotally mounted on said frame and means associated with said handle for causing relative movement between said frame and movable connections and in the closed position of thel tool exerting thrust on said handle in a line extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting thereof, in combination with a post slidably mounted in said sleeve and formed with a vertically extending series of rack teeth, a pinion journaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post, means for at will rotating said pinion, a catch straddling the lower rear portion of said sleeve and pivotally mounted on said sleeve for swinging movement toward and from said post, said catch normally operatively engaging the lower face of said sleeve and ther opposed upper face of one of,` the teeth of said series to lock said post against movement in said sleeve away from said jaws under the thrust of the valve spring being operated upon, and yielding means for normally holding said catch in operative position, said yielding means being adapted to` automatically yield under the downward and rearward thrust of the next adjacent upper tooth to permit said post to be moved downward through said sleeve by the rotation of said pinion in the proper direction. j

6. A valve-spring lifting tool comprisinor a frame, a pair of jaws mounted on sai frame, a sleeve, movable connections between said frame and sleeve, a handle pivotallyV mounted on said frame and means associated with said handle for causing relative movement between said frame and movable connections and in the closed position of the tool exerting thrust on said handle in a line extending below and to the rear of the pivotal point of mounting thereof, in combination with a post slidably mounted in said sleeve and having a vertically extending series of rack teeth, a pinion journaled in said sleeve and meshing with the teeth of said post, means for at will rotating said pinion, and means for preventing endwise movement of said post.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specication at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this 31st day of July, 1931.

HARRY W. KULP. MARTIN C. DELLINGER. 

